KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here heard that Datuk Seri Najib Razak told authorities he opened an account with Ambank in order to receive donations from Saudi Arabia.

Bukit Aman Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division assistant director Asst Comm Foo Wei Min confirmed this when questioned Wednesday (Nov 8) by Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the former premier's trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3bil of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.

Muhammad Shafee: My client instructed me that he opened the account in order to receive Saudi donations. This was indicated to him when he met the late King Abdullah, that is the instruction he maintained throughout. Did he not mention that to you?

Foo: Yes.

Muhammad Shafee: That account ending in 694 that he said was opened in order to receive the donation monies, did (the money) in fact come from Saudi, the Riyadh Bank?

Foo: Yes.

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Muhammad Shafee then asked the witness if he investigated the statements of accounts for three funds, namely Cistenique Inv (Cistenique), Enterprise Emerging Markets Fund (EEMF) and Devonshire Capital Growth Fund (Devonshire), which he claimed in his investigation had transferred a total of US$1.59bil (RM7.45bil) from 1MDB Global Investment Limited (1MDB GIL) bond proceeds to Tanore Finance Corp.

To this, Foo said he only took a glance at the documents related to the funds provided by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's investigating officer.

Muhammad Shafee: Does this mean you did not analyse the documents?

Foo: My perspective of investigation under the Anti-Money Laundering Act is merely (to find if) there was money coming in to Tanore from these three funds.

Muhammad Shafee: Did you meet anyone from these three funds to confirm your investigation? These statements of accounts came from overseas, did you obtain them through Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA)?

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Foo: I never recorded any statements from anyone from these three funds. For the statements of accounts, I am not sure. The police don't have any MLA, (it) must be from the MACC.

Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3bil belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

The trial before Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Thursday (Nov 9). – Bernama